Shaped fibrous sheet articles and method of producing the same



E. C. SLOAN March 10, 1936.

SHAPED FIBROUS SHEET-ARTICLES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Original FiledMay 19. 1934 W/ Ill/ji/l lllllllllll I I :v fl 11!. WMMWMWJM Patented Mar. 10, 1936 SHAPED, FIBROUS SHEET ARTICLES AND IlIETHOD PRODUCING THE SAME Edward C. Sloan, Geneva, 111., assignor to JesseB. I-Iawley, Geneva, Ill.

Original application May 19, 1934, Serial No.

726,610. Divided and this i 1934, Serial No. 726,612

Claims.

The present invention relates to the producing of articles the bodies of which are of fibrous material and are so treatedwith a thermoplastic substance of a resinous base as to present in the produced articles given and desired physical properties and characteristics with or without decorative'or artistic effects, and among the objects of the invention is to provide novel articles of the character mentioned above and a novel process quired. It may be applied-in liquid form or in of producing the same. I

The method or process of this invention generally comprises the treatment of or application to the fibrous material of the article body with or of a thermoplastic substance having the characteristics and properties later more fully described; with or without decorativeor ornamental means or media, and subjecting the aggregate to heat and pressure to effect the finished article.

.The thermoplastic substance referredto above is in the class of synthetic resinous compounds known as the vinyl resins of the polymerization group and more particularly those which are permanently thermoplastic, characterized by the bond group or radical --C HICH2, and which are insoluble in most all known solvents, particularly' most all hydrocarbon solvents, except the solvents of the ester type or the higher ketones, such as hexone and butyrone. In other words, the substance used in this invention is chemically inert to the extent indicated above and hence is impervious to and proof against moisture, water, acids, alkalies, alcohols, oils, greases, fats and the like. In its normally pure state it is odorless, tasteless, and colorless; that is, transparent. It is also noninflammable. It may be given any color or made translucent or opaque 'as desired by the incorporating or mixing there with of dyes, pigments,.iillers, or the like. it is also tough, durable and resilient. It alsolhas a very strong bonding or adhesive property; a pliant characteristic be desired, a plasticizeii'nlay: be added to it to the extent or the pliability redry sheets, strips, bars. and the like. When applied in the form of a liquid, the article body may be dipped in the liquid or the liquid may be sprayed or brushed on the surface of the article :body, and the liquid permitted to dry until all of the volatile solvent has evaporated. Drying may be in the air of normal temperature and like known as application May l9,

erably used is acetone but it is to be understood that other solvents as mentioned above may be used without afiecting the idea of invention herein disclosed. The body of the article produced preferably is of fibrous material, such as manila 5'- paper or board, cardboard, pasteboard, paper, and the like.

The body of the article preferably is made by the shaping, as by pressureor otherwise, of a piece or sheet of the fibrous material, and ap- 10 plying to the surface of the body the thermo-- plastic substance mentioned above to form any desired efiect with or without coloring, decora=, tion and the like as above stated.

Other objects, capabilities, advantages and the id like are comprehended by the invention as will later appear and as are-inherently possessed by;

the invention.

This application is a division of my co-pending application identified as Serial No. 726,610, w filed May 19, 193%.

Referring to the drawing;

Fig. l is a sectional view of a sheet or disc oi": fibrous material before shaping it to term a flanged article, such as a cover or cap as shown 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of a pressed and shaped cover or cap showing the folds of the edge portion or flange;

' Fig. 3 is a part sectional view of the cover or cap shown in Fig. 2 with coatings or coverings, veneer or decoration. or the like:

Fig. 4 is'a top plan view of an article, such as a cover or cap, or plate, or the like, having bosses or cameo impressions or intaglio; 35

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken in a plane represented byline 5-5 in Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 but showing pressed bosses or reliefs.

Referring more in detail to the drawing the invention is ilustrated a few forms of the article. The article shown is formed or shaped irornsheets, of fibrous material such as manila sheet or'paper of the like, cardboard, paste board, fibre sheet, fibr' board, and the like, which has 45 suficient compliance to be formed, shaped or strained by suitable means. To illustrate, a

sheet lid, ,(Fig. 1) maybe provided with layers thermoplastic substance between the laps to unite and form them together when the article is later subjected to heat and pressure. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the cup or'cap has a series of overlaps I I5 and underlapsv I I6 with intervening layers III of the thermoplastic substance. at part being shown broken away in Fig. 2 to show the lapping feature and the layer I on an underlap.

In the finished article, the parts H5 and IIS.

are compressed to'be of the same thickness as the remainder of the body of the article. If the formed article or blank be not coated or provided with a layer of thermoplasticsubstance before shaping the normally fiat sheet, the coatings or layers III, H2, H3, and III may be applied afterwards in any of the ways described above. The outer layer if desired, may include any color producing substance or matter such as a dye or pigmentor filler togive the color effect desired.

If a decorative effect is desiredfthe decorative means may be applied to the surface of the layer I I I and it may be wood veneer, or a textile sheet with design, or lace, or paper with design, or .a'

picture, or the like. Such a decorative piece H8 is shown in section in Fig. 3. Over the flange part of the body,'this decorative piece may have folds having laps I I9 and I20 with an intervening layer I2I of the thermoplastic substance. Over the outer surface may be a covering or layer I22 of the thermoplastic substance. If wood veneer be used, the marginal portion may be slitted so as to provide tongues which may overlap or abut on the fiange, and which may be so compressed, when the article is subjected to the heat and pressure of the hot dies, as to appear to be of a single thickness and a single sheet. If desired a design piece I23 (Fig; 4) may be included in the outer. layer I22.

As stated above, the thermoplastic substance may be used in sheet form by simply applying the sheet to the surface to be coated or covered, or it may be used in liquid form. The liquid form of the thermoplastic substance may be applied by dipping the body of the article in the solution or by spraying the liquid on the surface, or by applying it with a brush. As the volatile solvent evaporates the liquid thickens and even becomes tacky. Air drying may be used but if desired the coating may be dried more quickly in heated air or the like. When the spraying method is used, it is preferable to use some of the higher volatiles-mentioned above so that the evaporating of the volatile solvent may be slower. It is preferable to air dry first to obtain a removal of the major portion of the volatile solvents and then force dry, in heated air or the like,'to remove the residual volatiles. The complete evaporation of the volatiles is to avoid the formation of bubbles or the like, so that when heat and pressure are later applied there will be no bubbles or the like to be trapped and thus form blemishes, defects, flaws or the like, in the coverin of the finished article.

After the article has been shaped as desired and has been covered or coated with the thermoplastic substance, the next step is to'heat and press the covered article so ,as to mold the thermoplastic substance. Ifit be desired to obtain I a glossy or lustrous surface for the coating, the

dies have polished surfaces. If a satin finsh be desired, the surfaces of the dies are left with a satin-like finish. 'If an embossed or like finish be desired,the die surfaces may be provided with the proper contour to mold the type of surface desired.

.terpart of the surfaces of the dies.

The dies are heated to the necessary temperature to fuse and melt the thermoplastic substance so that it will be sufficiently plastic or fiuidal to be displaced or to fiow to assume an exact counapplied to the article with suflicient pressure to effect this result and also to press or compress the layers, such as the folds of the fibrous material and of the decorative element, if one be used, such as the overlaps and underlaps shown in the drawing, whereby the folds will present a surface which will be substantially flush or even and the article will appear to be made of a single thickness. Moreover, the thermoplastic substance will enter or penetrate into the interstices of the fibrous material to a. greater or lesser extent depending upon the amount of the thermoplastic substance used, and if desired the fibrous material may be entirely impregnated or permeated with the thermoplastic substance but in most cases it is only necessary to impregnate the surface portion of the article body itself.

After the necessary heat and pressure have been applied, the casting, that is, the article and the die molded thermoplastic substance, is allowed to cool while being maintained under pressurein the dies, the latter also being cooled. The dies may then be removed. The finished article has a glossy or lustrous-coating or surface if the die surfaces have been polished, or has the particular contour produced by the contoured surface of the dies if such be used. The coating acts as a stiffener and reinforcer for the body portion of the article; also as a strong bond or adhesive for maintaining the parts together in the relations assumed when subjected to pressure and heat; also as at protecting and preserving means preventing the access of moisture and other deteriorating media, etc. to the material of the article, and the like, and also as an adorning or embellishing means to give the article an appearance of elegance, and the like. When a decorative element is used, the pressure of the dies will press it into the material of the body portion of the article so that the surface of the decorative element will be substantially even or flush'with the surface of the body. A portion of the coating or covering will enter the interstices of the material of the body, and of the decorative element, if any be used, or may wholly impregnate or permeatethe material of the body and the decorative element, so that when the coating or covering material is cooled, the whole article will be strong, stifi, solid, and practically an integral unit. In this way an article having the appearance and properties of difiicultly made and costly substances, such as stone, crockery, ceramic ware, valuable woods, metals, etc., may be made quickly and. easily from inexpensive materials, and the article will be lighter in weight and fully as strong. If it be desired to give weight to the aiticle, the fibrous material may be loaded with weight giving material before applying the thermoplastic substance.

If the die surfaces are provided with depres- The dies are I sions or the like, the thermoplastic substance will fill them and when the article and dies are cooled and the die removed, the article will have bosses .or cameo elements I24, these elements being an integral part of the layers I22 as shown in Fig. 5. These elements may be of any desired substance covering the article will unite therewith and the molded elements I24 will be colored according to the dye or pigment used. If intaglio efiects should be desired, the surface of the die may have raised portions so that intaglio depressions will bemolded in the surface of the H0 and theveneer or decorative sheet M8 to form corresponding contoured portions H2, Ill, I22, 0', and H8 as shown in Fig. 6.

The heat and pressure of the dies cause the thermoplastic substance to fuse and become fluidal to conform to the contour of the die surfaces, the pressure acting also to shape the assembly by compression or displacement or both of the parts, andthe thermoplastic substance enters the interstices of the strata or sheets H0 and 8 to form, on coo1irig,a practically integral rigid unit.

When convenient instead of deriving all the heat from the dies to produce the desired effect, the assembly of parts may be heated in any suit- 'able manner, not sufficient to cause the thermoplastic material to prematurely fuse or become plastic before the dies are applied. In such case the dies will not need to be heated as much as when all of the, heat necessary forthe desired effect must be supplied wholly from the dies- In that way a more thoroughand quicker thermoplastic action is efiected, and the time of cooling is decreased. Less heat is necessary in the dies and hence the dies cool more quickly.

While I have disclosed a few embodiments of the invention and a mode of producing them it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but comprehends other constructions, details, arrangements of parts, features and process steps without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A process of making. articles comprising shaping a sheet of fibrous material into a given form to form the body of the article, applying a decorative element to the surface of said body, covering the surface of said body and said decorative element with a thermoplastic substance of a resinous base, subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure to fuse said substance to unite said body and decorative element and'to provide a covering therefor, cooling the same'to solidify the'substance with a given surface and to produce a rigid unit, and removing the pressure.

2. A process of making articles comprising shaping a sheet of fibrous material into a given form to form the body of the article, covering the surface of-said body with a thermoplastic substance of a resinous base, covering the same with a veneer, applying a decorative element to the veneer, covering the assembly with said substance, subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure to fuse said substance to unite said body, veneer and element and toprovide a covering therefor, cooling the same to solidify the substance with a given surface and to produce a rigid unit, and removing the pressure.

3. A process of making articles comprising shaping a sheet of fibrous material into a given form to form the body of the article, covering the surface of said body with a thermoplastic substance of a resinous base, subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure to cause the substance to unite with said body and provide a covering therefor, molding a portion of said substance to form a decorative contoured element therefrom-cooling the same while under pressure to solidify said substance with a given surface and with said element integral therewith, and removing the pressure.

'4. A process of making articles comprising shaping a sheet of fibrous material into a given form to form the body of the article, covering the surface of said body with a thermoplastic substances of a resinuous base, subjecting the assembly to heat and pressure to cause the substance to unite with said body and provide a covering therefor and to compress over thick partsof the body to substantially the same thickness as the remainder of the body, cooling the assembly while under pressure to solidify said substance with a given surface, and removing the pressure. a

5. An article comprising a shaped body of fibrous sheet material, and a covering of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group -CH:CH2 united to said body to form a rigid unit.

6. An article comprising a shaped body .of fibrous sheet material, a decorative covering for said body, and a covering of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin of the polymerization group united to and uniting said body and decorative covering to form a rigid unit.

7. An article comprising a shaped body of fibrous sheet material, a covering of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group -CH:CHz united to said body, a veneer covering said covered body, and a covering of said solidified substance united to and uniting said veneer and said body to form a rigid unit.

8. An article comprising a shaped body of fibrous sheet material, a covering of a solidified thermoplastic'vinyl resin 'of the bond group CH:CH2 united to said body to form a rigid unit, a veneer covering said covered body, a decorative element on said veneer, and a covering, of said solidified substance united to and uniting said body, veneer and decorative element to form a rigid unit. a

9. An article comprising a shaped, body. of

fibrous sheet material, a covering of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin of the polymerization group united to said body to form a rigid unit, said covering having an integral portion thereof in the form of a decorative element.

10. An article comprising a shaped body of fibrous sheet material, a decorative covering for said body, and a covering of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin .of the bond group CHzCHz united to and uniting said body and decorative EDWARD C. SLOAN. 

